


Heart's True Desire

by orphan_account



Category: No. 6 - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-14 20:36:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4579164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which we learn of the transformative powers of love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heart's True Desire

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on atailof2cities tumblr on October 7, 2012.

Once upon a time, in an ancient forest, there lived a being of unsurpassed beauty whose name was Eve.

Being a shapeshifter, she took on the form of one’s true desire when looked upon. She shared the forest with many creatures and delighted in their company but never let on that secretly she was very lonely as she was the only one of her kind. She had lived many years but her true form had yet to be realized so, for now, she chose to appear as a woman and called herself Eve which amused her somewhat.

One day a young man came wandering through this forest which bordered on the vast estate to which he was heir. He had grown tired of the mundanity and hypocrisy of his life and felt an emptiness inside which grew stronger every day. And so he came upon Eve, sitting up in a tree, looking at him with a strange smile on her face.

“Good day to you,” he spoke politely, as he had been taught to do. He was very aware of his abnormal appearance and always sought to put those he met at ease.

“Ah, yes, a fine morning it is, and you are a very pleasant sight indeed. I don’t think I have ever seen such an unusual color of hair in one so young,” and she smiled sweetly back at him.

The young man was taken aback at this remark, for he was used to people staring at him and talking behind his back when they thought he couldn’t hear them. He had been stricken with a strange disease years ago which had altered his looks dramatically. Being heir to a fortune, people, of course, had to treat him with respect, but their real feelings were known to him quite plainly, but he felt none of that from this young woman… or wait, was he looking at a young man instead? The image in front of him kept fluctuating back and forth until he had to close his eyes, suddenly feeling lightheaded.

At this, Eve floated down from the tree, her dress flowing around her with equal grace, and she walked over to the young man. She touched his face, running her elegant fingers over the red mark on his cheek. He opened his eyes, surprised at the cool touch, and as he looked into her eyes he felt all his dizziness subside. In its place a warmth began welling up, which was a new feeling to him, and the constant emptiness he felt started to dissipate.

Just then horns blared off in the distance making the young man jump.

“Oh, I have to be going, but can I visit you here again sometime?”

Eve slowly nodded and the young man’s face lit up in a smile. “Alright then, until next time.”

As he quickly began to walk away she called out, “Wait, I didn’t catch your name.”

He turned and said, “I’m terribly sorry, where are my manners? My name is Shion… and might I ask for yours?”

“Eve,” was all she said.

“Very well, Eve, I look forward to seeing you again.” His smile widened even more and with that he took off at a run.

Eve floated back up and perched herself on one of the tree branches watching Shion as he disappeared.

“Yes, I look forward to that also, Shion,” the strange smile forming on her lips again. “I think, perhaps, you might be the one… but time will tell. Yes, time will tell.”

 

As the days passed Shion showed up more and more to the forest. He was enjoying Eve’s company and all the things she did to entertain him. And she, though she didn’t say as much, enjoyed the childlike wonder which plainly showed on his face. She would sing, tell old tales or recite poetry, all the while completely captivating Shion with the sound of her beautiful voice. And then there were the times when he would catch her unawares as she danced, twirling, almost seeming to float to a tune she would softly hum to herself. This magical being, for he had long since realized that she was not human, carried him far away to places he never dreamed of and he felt at peace and content.

Every time he visited Eve her image kept changing back and forth from young woman to man, but as the days went on she began to take on the form of a young man more frequently, dressed in attire befitting a young gentleman, not too flashy nor too shabby. Simplicity seemed to suit him best. At last ‘she’ became ‘he’ in Shion’s eyes and remained that way.

So Shion decided to ask Eve about this phenomenon. After he explained what it was he was seeing Eve looked at him carefully before replying. “Your eyes are not playing tricks on you for I am, in truth, a shapeshifter and all who look upon me see what they truly desire in their heart. I appeared to you at first as a woman, the image of which began to change almost immediately, and now I have taken the form of a young man which has not changed.”

Eve was silent, contemplating this, and then continued, “I wish I could see myself as you do for in all my years I have never remained the same this long. I can feel a permanence settling on my body which affects not only me but you as well.”

After listening to Eve Shion sat silent as well. Then an idea began to form in his mind and he looked up at Eve who was observing him closely. “If you wish to see yourself as I do, then come with me to my home and look in my mirror. I’ve been meaning to invite you to visit and this would be a perfect time to do so!”

Shion stood and held out his hand which Eve looked at for a moment before he began to smile, and he took that outstretched hand in his and pulled himself up.

“I like this idea, my lord, so if it is convenient let us be on our way,” and the sound of laughter spilled effortlessly from him.

Shion smiled back. “Yes, let’s… but, please don’t call me ‘lord’,” a pout forming on his lips.

“You are so easy to tease I cannot resist the temptation,” and Eve continued to laugh as they made their way out of the forest and on to Shion’s home.

 

As they approached the mansion Eve stopped to take in the enormous size of the place. He looked at Shion and asked, “You are dissatisfied with this?”

“It’s just… it feels like too much. I don’t need all of this. All I really want is to be with y…” His face began to flush, and he quickly turned aside to hide his embarrassment.

“I guessed as much,” Eve murmured, and then spoke up and said, “Well then, how about you show me to this mirror of yours, hmm?” and took Shion’s hand, pulling him along as they continued towards the house.

Shion moved up beside Eve and they walked together up the front steps and went through the entrance where they were greeted by a few servants. Then they went up more flights of stairs, down numerous hallways, and finally came to Shion’s room.

Shion opened the door to allow Eve to enter first. As Eve looked around at the neat, orderly fashion in which the room was kept he couldn't help but think it didn’t have a lived-in feel to it. It was as if Shion merely existed there.

Shion closed the door behind him and quietly watched Eve as he surveyed the bedroom. He then cleared his throat and asked, “You know, Eve, I’ve been wondering if perhaps you have another name. The way you appear to me now doesn’t seem to fit.”

Eve looked over his shoulder and replied, “Not really. People have given me many names over the years but they all came and went and so with them went the names. If I ever had an actual name it has long since been lost to the tides of time.” He turned back to look out the windows at the brilliance of the setting sun. Speaking softly he said, “Perhaps you would care to give me a name.”

“Oh, I couldn’t do something like that. A name is a very precious and meaningful thing…” and just then through the open window came three little mice. They hopped down to the floor and ran towards Shion, squeaking away as they came closer.

“Ah, nezumi!”

“Nezumi, you say…" Eve pondered this. "Yes, that’s quite nice.”

“Oh, yes they are… Wait, did you mean… No, no! I wasn’t suggesting that as a name for you!”

The mice stopped just in front of Eve and he bent down and extended a hand which they climbed onto and scurried up his arm to sit on his shoulders. He turned his head first one way and then the other looking into their intelligent eyes.

“So, you call these little ones nezumi. I like them and the name has a nice ring to it, too.” He turned to look at Shion and smiled. “I wish you would call me Nezumi.”

Clearly still flustered by this whole turn of events Shion said, “If you truly wish it then who am I to say no, Nezumi. These little ones are my friends and they obviously like you." The mice nodded their furry heads in approval, both at the choice of name and the idea of having a new friend. "And it does seem to fit your appearance better than Eve.”

“They are your friends? I see, but I think we shall be that and much more in the times to come. This is the first name you have called me by other than Eve and that in itself also has meaning, as you like to put it…" Nezumi clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Now, how about we go have a look in this mirror of yours. I want to see just how well my image suits this new name you have given me!”

 

“The mirror is over here,” Shion said as he showed Nezumi the way.

Following close behind Nezumi rounded the corner into the dressing area. There stood a large, full length stand-alone mirror with ornate decorations all around the border. Nezumi walked over to stand in front of it, the mice still on his shoulders. Shion reached out his hand and they clambered onto him so that Nezumi could have a good look at himself and what he saw there made his heart skip a beat. _‘So this is how he sees me,’_ he thought.

It was interesting to be able to see himself all at once like this. His hair was shorter than Eve’s and it was of a dark color which contrasted sharply with the lightness of his skin. But it was his eyes… they were a curious grey, which he knew wasn't common among humans, and he wondered what thoughts went through Shion’s mind when he looked into those eyes?

Having shifted so many times Nezumi had ceased to be a vain creature, or so he liked to tell himself. But this shift was different. He could feel the purity of Shion's desire in every cell of this new body. He turned to Shion and took hold of his hand and pulled him next to him so he could see both of them in the mirror. The mice jumped off onto the floor and turned to observe this scene from a distance.

What struck him the most was just how perfect this picture was. “This is your heart’s true desire made manifest,” Nezumi said softly. “Desires can take on many forms, but with a heart as pure as yours I can honestly say that this form can only be the result of one thing. So tell me, Shion, tell me how you truly feel about me.”

Shion looked deep within himself and the answer was as plain as the images he saw in the mirror. He turned to gaze into Nezumi’s eyes and the words fell easily from his lips. “I love you.”

Nezumi smiled. “This is how I shall remain, for all my magic has been used up making these changes which were shaped by your love, and I am now mortal like you, but I have no regrets and neither should you. I have known this would happen when I finally met the one I was meant to be with.” He pulled Shion closer to him and whispered, “I love you, too,” and he kissed him tenderly on the forehead.

Tears were falling from Shion’s eyes and as Nezumi kissed him he wrapped his arms around this man who was a physical manifestation of all the love he felt, and he dropped his head to rest against Nezumi’s chest, quietly crying with happiness as Nezumi’s arms held him gently.

Sometimes the simplest of acts can say the most, and the two of them stood for a long time just holding one another, having been overcome by their powerful emotions.

A while later they moved back into Shion’s room and went to sit on the window seat. It was evening now and a gentle breeze blew through the window which felt cool and refreshing on their faces. The mice climbed onto the bed, curled up and fell comfortably asleep.

The stars were out, twinkling against a dark backdrop, and the calm Shion was feeling reminded him of the times in the forest with Eve. He said, “You know, even as beautiful as you look now some small part of me misses the loveliness of Eve, especially when she was dancing.”

Nezumi gave that strange smile again. “Well, if you could find a wig and suitable clothing I would be happy to grace you with her presence once again! And since you liked the dancing so much…” At this Nezumi stood, and bowing at the waist with his hand held out he asked, “Would you care to dance with me, Shion?”

Shion took Nezumi’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled up and into the correct positioning. Nezumi started to lightly hum and they began to sway in time with the tune. Around and around they went, for Shion’s room was large enough to accommodate the flow of the dance. Shion’s thoughts drifted back to when he had watched Eve seeming to float as she twirled about and felt as if he too was floating as his body moved effortlessly along with Nezumi’s.

They danced back in front of the window and Nezumi’s eyes were shining as he looked at Shion, and then he leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. Shion awkwardly returned the kiss but as it continued he pressed back with more confidence until he felt that there was nothing else in all the world but Nezumi and himself, tightly wound together in their embrace.

The moon had since risen and cast its light on them, making their shadows appear as one, and when they finally pulled apart they were smiling and went to sit on the edge of the bed, being careful not to disturb the mice. Nezumi wrapped one arm around Shion who laid his head once more against Nezumi.

And in the quiet of the evening Nezumi said, “You know, Shion, the forest has always been the closest thing to a home that I’ve ever had.”

“Ah, yes, and I’d understand if you’d feel more comfortable there, so wherever you decide to go I’ll go with you.”

“Wait, you didn’t let me finish.” Nezumi sighed. “I was going to say that now I’ve found my real home.”

“Of course, there’s more than enough room for you here!” Shion quickly blurted out.

Nezumi chuckled and continued. “What I've been trying to say is that it's not the place where I live that matters but _who_ I live with," and pulling Shion even closer he added, _"You_ are my home, Shion.”

This time Shion didn't reply. He silently nodded his understanding and put his arm around Nezumi's waist and this was the only answer he would ever need to give.

And so they lived happily together to the end of their days, but even now tales are still told of Shion and Nezumi and the transformative powers of love.


End file.
